How to Make Renaissance Clothing

The Renaissance was a cultural movement that roughly spanned from the 14^th century to the 17^th century that affected every aspect of life, from education to the arts. Mathematics, paintings, music, architecture and even clothing were all reformed. The Renaissance era is one of medieval dress that portrays a classic, romantic air that is distinctive to the era. Dressing up in Renaissance clothing can be exciting when attending a costume ball, masquerade or Mardi Gras. You can even gain inspiration from the Renaissance era to incorporate Renaissance elements into your clothing style.

Things You'll Need

Corsets

Long dresses

Chemises

Petticoats

Vests

Ruffled shirts

Boots

Step 1

Incorporate corsets into your clothing designs. Either sew a corset directly into your bodice or include a separate corset to be worn directly beneath the outfit. Corsets were extremely popular in the Renaissance era. Tiny waists were the height of fashion, and it was actually considered improper for women to not wear one-much like a bra or panties.

Step 2

Design long dresses as they are particularly distinctive to the Renaissance era. All skirts and dresses were long, as it was considered improper for women to expose their ankles. Moreover, chemises or petticoats were also worn under such dresses as slips. These dresses may be long and flowing gowns, or they may be thick and full-skirted.

Step 3

Create clothing with vests. Vests were actually popular among both males and females during this era. A fitted vest complemented many skirts for women, and a long vested coat completed a pair of trousers for men. Men's vests were usually long, reaching to the thighs, whereas women's vests reached just to the top of the hips and were fitted to show off a tiny, hourglass figure created by a corset.

Step 4

Make ruffled shirts for men. Ruffled shirts were renowned among both men of the royalty, peasants and pirates. Loose and comfortable, these were almost always part of a man's clothing. They can be worn alone or with a vest or coat. The style of ruffles may very from slight to elaborate. Shirts may be ruffled at the collar, chest, wrists or all three or a combination of two.

Step 5

Finish your Renaissance clothing off with boots. Boots are another item that was universal among both men and women. In addition, such boots can be long knee-high boots or short ankle-high boots.

Tips

Embellish your Renaissance clothing with trimmings, lace, pearls and feathers for added decoration.

Warnings

Design your clothing appropriate to the season and climate; a thin petticoat would not be ideal for a cold climate just as a thick, heavy skirt would not be ideal to a hot climate.